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By Mayo Clinic staffIf you're considering freezing your eggs, look for a fertility clinic with expertise in the field. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology provide information online about U.S. fertility clinics' individual pregnancy and live birth rates — although data related to pregnancies using frozen eggs is limited. Keep in mind, however, that a clinic's success rate depends on many factors, such as patients' ages.
If the expense of egg freezing is a concern, ask for detailed information about the costs associated with each step of the procedure and the annual storage fees.
Before beginning the egg-freezing process, you'll likely need screenings, including:
- Ovarian reserve testing. To determine the quantity and quality of your eggs, your doctor might test the concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in your blood on day three of your menstrual cycle. Test results can help predict how your ovaries will respond to fertility medication.
- Infectious disease screening. You'll be screened for certain infectious diseases, such as HIV. Potentially infectious eggs are stored differently than are other eggs.
Before going forward with egg freezing, consider important questions, including:
- When do you plan to become pregnant? Weigh the probability that you'll be able to become pregnant at that age against the probability of a successful pregnancy with the use of eggs that have been frozen.
- How many eggs would you like to freeze? Most fertility experts recommend freezing a total of 20 to 30 eggs and thawing six to eight eggs for each pregnancy attempt, depending on your age and egg quality. As a result, you might need to undergo ovarian stimulation — in which you inject medication to stimulate your ovaries — more than once.
- What will you do with unused eggs? You might be able to donate unused frozen eggs to a couple or a research facility. You might also choose to discard unused eggs.
References
- Chung K, et al. Fertility preserving options for women of advancing age. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
- Jensen JR, et al. Fertility preservation. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2011;86:45.
- Reproductive aging in women. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. http://www.asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/Resources/Patient_Resources/Fact_Sheets_and_Info_Booklets/reproaging.pdf. Accessed Aug. 16, 2012.
- Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Practice Committee of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Ovarian tissue and oocyte cryopreservation. Fertility and Sterility. 2008;90:S241.
- Lee SJ, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations on fertility preservation in cancer patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2006;24:2917.
- Noyes N, et al. Oocyte cryopreservation: Is it time to remove its experimental label? Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2010;27:69.
- Grifo JA, et al. Delivery rate using cryopreserved oocytes is comparable to conventional in vitro fertilization using fresh oocytes: Potential fertility preservation for female cancer patients. Fertility and Sterility. 2010;93:391.
- Tucker M, et al. Human oocyte cryopreservation: A valid alternative to embryo cryopreservation? European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology. 2004;113:S24.
- Rienzi L, et al. Consistent and predictable delivery rates after oocyte vitrification: An observational longitudinal cohort multicentric study. Human Reproduction. 2012;27:1606.
- Frequently asked questions. Pregnancy FAQ060. Later childbearing. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Frequently asked questions. Gynecologic problems FAQ026. Detecting and treating breast problems. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq026.ashx?dmc=1&ts=20111213T1052571310. Accessed. Accessed Oct. 11, 2012.
- Infertility: An overview. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine. http://www.asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/Resources/Patient_Resources/Fact_Sheets_and_Info_Booklets/infertility_overview.pdf. Accessed Oct. 11, 2012.
- Frequently asked questions. Gynecologic problems FAQ137. Treating infertility. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq137.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20121011T1619214667. Accessed. Accessed Oct. 11, 2012.
- Fretts RC. Effect of advanced age on fertility and pregnancy in women. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
- Cleary-Goldman J, et al. Impact of maternal age on obstetric outcome. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2005;105:983.
- Assisted reproductive technologies: A guide for patients. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. http://www.asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/Resources/Patient_Resources/Fact_Sheets_and_Info_Booklets/ART.pdf. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
- The Practice Committees of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Mature oocyte cryopreservation: A guideline. Fertility and Sterility. 2012. In press. Accessed Nov. 27, 2012.
- Fauser B, et al. Overview of ovulation induction. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 15, 2012.
- Anesthesia experience. American Society of Anesthesiologists. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/FAQs/anesthesia%20experience.aspx. Accessed Oct. 15, 2012.
- The Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Fertility and Sterility. 2008;90:188.
- Hughes E, et al. Clomiphene citrate for unexplained subfertility in women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/view/0/index.html. Accessed Oct. 15, 2012.
- Fauser BCJM. Overview of ovulation induction. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 30, 2012.
- Jensen JR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 17, 2012.
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